The Second Death
by Ukonkirves
Summary: An alternative take of Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest featuring a darker and more serious plot with a slightly OOC Hajime Nagumo. Certain aspects of the LN are removed and replaced. The original story and characters belong to Ryo Shirakome.


_**Help me find truth**_

 _ **Help me find truth**_

 _ **Help me find truth**_

 _ **Help me find truth**_

 _ **Help me find truth**_

 _ **Help me find truth**_

 _ **Help me find truth**_

 _ **Help me find truth**_

 _-Those Days Seem Several Hundred Years Ago by Harlots circa. 2006_

 ** _-[Ř]-_**

 _The smacking sounds of fists hitting my flesh along with the strained voice of an upset person was the only sound I keep hearing as I feel my head press against the rough concrete. Through blurry eyes I see two figures dashing off, a young boy and an elderly woman. They were running away from this jerk when the boy bumped into him spilling his ice cream on the guy's shirt to which he became upset and started to scream at the poor bystanders. The boy was crying and the elderly woman was begging the man to calm but to no avail, he was mad to point where he will get hostile to an old person with a frail kid. I reacted quickly; placing myself in front of the two._

 _"Ehh? What do you want punk?!"_

 _'You're the punk here.'_

 _I said nothing while standing my ground as he continues shouting before his fist struck my cheek. It wasn't enough to put me down but a multitude of strikes did. He grabbed my collar to proceed his onslaught as I looked at the two bystanders._

 _'Get out of here! Now!'_

 _They did. A good couple of minutes has passed and the punk feeling something is off looked around to see the old lady and kid gone. Growling he gave one last kick at me while spitting at my bruised face._

 _Why did I do that?_

 _What was the point?_

 _I was beaten up by someone else's mistake._

 _These questions were hanging around me like flies around a garbage can. It's true that I have no day in the matter nor is it my fault that this brute is thoroughly upset. However a shred of integrity hit me when I was punched in the face. That's right..._

 _'I don't have to deal with the upcoming guilt.'_

 _No one else wanted to lend a hand so I did. It still hurt though._

 _Trying to walk home in pain was a hindrance but there was someone who didn't want me to walk home limping. She was super pretty; can be easily mistaken for a famous idol with her flawless face, enticing lips and alluring eyes. Her blissful scent lingered in my nose along with her silky black hair caressing my wounded face. She helped me stand up and walk towards a nearby pharmaceutical store. Patched up I gave my thanks to girl to which she shook her head and responded._

 _"The only one who deserves the gratitude is you."_

 _Her sweet smile matched her words: Angelic and Kosher. She insisted that she wanted to escort me to my house but I reassured her that I am indeed o.k. to walk alone without anymore punks to deal with (I doubt there's still more out there). Convinced we parted ways but my thoughts went to that kind girl. I went back to the uniform she was wearing._

 _'Same school huh?'_

 _It was graduation days for our school. Most of my classmates will find other schools in a different prefecture so seeing her again is a 100-1 chance. Even if we went to the same high school..._

 _'I doubt she'll recognize me.'_

 ** _-[Ê]-_**

 ** _{A Year Later}_**

Dammit I had to go crazy last night and on a Sunday too. I didn't want to come to school today not because of my tired state of body and mind but there was an annoying series of events that always happens whenever I go to class. Glares and tongues clicking coming from the male students in the classroom; the girls did not have a friendly expression either. It was fine if the people were indifferent, but there were the one who have a contempt expression directed solely towards me. Why? I opened the door and the first person to greet me...

"Nagumo-kun! Good morning! Geez you're almost late again."

"Ah yeah... morning."

Kaori Shirasaki, the school's most popular and beautiful girl. If this was a visual novel she would fit the bill as the caring bishojo with not a single bad bone in her body and this was the problem that I have to deal with. Envious eyes were seen and aimed at me when I was talking to Kaori. These guys will either wallow in sorrow or ridicule me because of my involvement with the school's most desirable girl. I didn't mind her company, it's just that things were already more difficult with me being the reason of her joy. This classroom, hell this school is nothing more than a hornet's nest hit with a rock once or twice.

"Do you really have to look after him Kaori?"

Great... These three.

"Morning Nagumo. Cutting it close as always?"

Shizuku Yaegashi. The cool onee-sama who's a master at kenjutsu. She's also Kaori's best friend.

"You're so kind to him Kaori."

Kouki Amanogawa. The ikemen that everyone looks up to; Most popular boy here.

"What's the point of talking to this unmotivated prick?"

Ryutarou Sakagami. The muscle of head of these three and Amanogawa's close friend.

I have no personal issues with either one of them but the guys somehow disliked me with the exception of Shizuku. Kouki only sees me as a hindrance and a waste of Kaori's kindness while Ryutarou hates me for being a gutless prick with no initiative. Apparently to him playing Skyrim for 72 hours straight isn't enough to drive the spirit. They're like the rest of the students here: Bitter at my mere existence.

"Listen Nagumo, when are you going stop fawning over Kaori's kindness? She can't give you attention forever."

 _'This dude...'_

It's not my fault that she wanted to hang out with me you conceited ass. You can ask the girl yourself. I took a glimpse at Kaori who had a puzzling look on her face.

"Eh? Kouki-kun, What are you saying? I'm talking to Nagumo-kun because I want to." she said innocently.

Well you heard it here first. She wants to be with me because she wants to - Kaori Shirasaki, 2013. When she said that the classroom erupted. Some intensified their glares while others bawled their eyes out. Drama won't help you poor saps.

"Really? Kaori is too nice." Kouki sighed at Kaori's honest-to-goodness statement.

"Ehh?! How so?"

You... These are two are denser than Donkans. I was surprised to see them to act like nothing is happening around them. At least get a glimpse of the venomous glares these people were showing. The only person who understood the atmosphere was Shizuku who gave me an apologetic look to which I shrugged and gave a tired smile.

 _'At least I'm not alone in this visual warzone.'_

 _ **-[Ż]-**_

By the time lunch came I had to step out to escape the backlash of the boys and girls still distraught about what happened an hour before. It was there that I met the group who were more hostile than the room behind me.

"Hey Kimoota! Playing your games all night again? Another eroge I wonder?"

"Hah, gross. Bet you were masturbating too!"

The taunting laughter came from Daisuke Hiyama. He is the head honcho of a group of boys that pick on me on a daily routine. The three next to him with their stupid laughs were Yoshiki Saito, Reiichi Kondo, and Shinji Nakano, these four would join in on their bullying. They were the worst of the students who saw my existence as a bothersome one. You name any bully technique they did it towards me just because of my involvement with Kaori. I can tell that they wanted to continue their spree of harassment...

Until she showed up.

"Nagumo-kun, do you want to eat together?"

"Uhh... sure, I don't mind."

Relief swept over when Kaori and the others came. The group dispersed with Hiyama giving me one last scornful glare. I sighed out in exasperation before eating my light meal. It wasn't much but it was enough to go through the day without a bloated or growling stomach.

"Eh! You only eat so little Nagumo-kun? That's no good, you should eat properly. Here, I'll give you some of mine! Say ahn~"

"Kaori, It looks like Nagumo has enough on his palate. He probably won't eat Kaori's delicious meal."

"Seriously Kaori, this guy didn't even grab your shrimp when you offered."

"He probably wants to be treated like a customer from a maid café Ryutarou."

 _'Don't put me in with those pervs Shizuku-san.'_

Ignoring the guy's rude comments (A.K.A insults) and the teasing smile coming from the swordswoman I accepted the offer and ate the tempura shrimp dangling in front of my face.

 _'So good...'_

I glanced at the now blushing Kaori who gave me her brightest smile yet. It was surreal. To see her so jubilant, so radiant I can see why everyone in this school would think of her as the perfect girlfriend or to some extent a goddess. That aura of hers hadn't change and it will never change. My mind went back to that pharmaceutical store one year ago, to that agonizing yet satisfactory day.

 _'Keep that smile Kaori.'_

This was my normal life...

A day to day experience of an otaku high school student.

 ** _《Review: Arifureta: Shokugyou De Sekai Saikyou》_**

 _OK so this is another generic Isekai Fantasy story that most of us will figure out the whole plot and setting just by seeing that single genre word: Isekai. Someone dies or gets teleported into some world that isn't relevant to them and they have to save the world or get threesomes by horny sub-species of humanoids (Heresy I do say)._

 _But it isn't someone says to me, there's darkness in there. Well I certainly hope so. My cynicism kept telling me that it is to which it was right! Another generic Isekai Fantasy story! With some minor things here and there._

 _At the first few chapters I was waiting for the catastrophic moment where the story hits me and it did at the Orcus Dungeon. I was reeled in when the story took a darker turn through this setting and was hoping for more until Yue came in and all the other girls in Tortus. Damn. Here I am hoping for a punch in the face but no I get mediocrity instead._

 _What I was hoping for in Arifureta was something similar to Spec Ops: The Line in terms of context. A generic Isekai Fantasy story turning things around; telling the reader that this type of story can be hell to live through moreso than our day to day lives. But no, the immediate demand for lolis and big breasted females had to come in to please the masses of course._

 _Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network did say the romantic relationship between the main character and Yue was "unhealthy" well I wouldn't call it that I'd say Yue wasn't needed as a heroine, a side character but nothing more. Speaking of characters Hajime is a bit of an oddball in my eyes, his personality is scattered before and after Tortus as he switches in a way similar to a crummy ceiling lamp. It's lighthearted one minute before getting dark for no consistent reason. He's lazy and forlorn yet he gives into the submission of becoming a good enough hero. I will give him credit for not becoming a vengeance seeking maniac. Focusing all of his energy and resources to go back home, to his computer games. Let the traitor rot here for all he cares. At least he's not a Kaneki Ken rip-of... he is, with the Marie Antoinette syndrome and the personality change with the original still lingering like the stink of your 5 week old laundry. Nevermind then on to the others._

 _Yue is still a side character in my eyes and a grey one at that. She's not likeable but I don't necessarily hate her. This girl is here to fulfill the role as a crowd pleaser. Loli, check. Cute, check. Sad backstory, check. Reviewing her is like reading an itinerary of an employee at your nearby supermarket. Also I want to point out my surprise on Yue first meeting Hajime. Damn dude you're ice cold- and you saved her anyway, forget what I said then Hajime, your mood swings isn't helping the story to progress fluently. Shia is the one that I personally did not enjoy reading. The author tried to portray her as a comic relief but there's nothing funny about her. She's annoying and that's an understatement, she's overdramatic along with her saying the usual cringey phrases one would find in a manga featuring a clueless deredere girl and on top of all that she's easily forgettable. You tell me about Shia and I'll respond: "the Protestant version of Islam?" Tio plays the role meant for the perverted but at least she's not irritating. In the near future I'll probably see her as a portrait made by the imaginative minds over at Gelbooru. Fun fact: Tio means uncle and I find that funnier than Shia's godforsaken comedy aspect._

 _I would continue on with the harem character criticism but most of you can probably point out how I feel about them. Kaori and Shizuku can be easily passed on as the loveable ladies from a slice of life romantic comedy story. With Kaori being the gentle, all-around nice girl and Shizuku being the supportive older sister figure. Kouki is a dense bastard with delusions of grandeur and Hiyama is a prick with sociopathic issues. The dialogue between them is one helluva rollercoaster: Hajime argues with Kouki about leadership, refuses to offer help but he does it anyway and points out certain fantasy cliches before Shizuku teases him about his weak attempt on looking like Frank Martin from The Transporter, Nick Fury from the Avengers with Raven's arm from Elsword as the Kaneki Ken cardboard cutout succumbs to his bipolar disorder. The weapons are bit odd to have especially with Hajime's guns as it made me want to go and play Devil May Cry 1 on my rundown PS2 and quit being Train Heartnet Mr. Hajime Nagumo! Same rollercoaster can be said about the setting: Orcus Dungeon was not bad but the second dungeon: Whatchamacallit with the annoying idol reject bitch made me skip through the whole adventure because it wasn't taking this dungeon exploring thing seriously and not in the right way._

 _The art isn't terrible though same could be said with modern ecchi mangas. The monsters in Arifureta are drawn quite well, almost rivaling the Apostles from Berserk with its twisted form of regular animals. The character designs are at least tolerable moreso than the ones I've seen in other mangas._

 _Overall this story has an appeal but that generally disintegrates with the Isekai cliches coming in. Hopes die last I suppose. We don't all have to get our faces smashed by critical thinking._

 ** _=Author's Notes=_**

 ** _Had a couple ideas for this but the ones in my head didn't work out the way I planned nor did it looked good when I was proofreading it. Regardless the beginning was to me perfect to write down and so here it is._**

 ** _The review was inspired by the YouTuber FelixNoir. If you like Anime reviews that is not the likes of Forneverworld, Double4Anime or Chibi Reviews: reviewing each and every episode of a series until it ends then look no further. Give him a watch, subscribe and spread the word of his channel. You won't be disappointed._**

 ** _Also give Harlots' Those Days Seem Several Hundred Years Ago a listen if you're into atmospheric songs._**

 ** _Thanks for reading._**


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